What is an Interior Design Quotation?
An interior design quotation, or quote, is a document that freelance interior designers use to outline a potential job and its total cost to a client.
In most cases, an interior design quotation is sent to a client after you have visited the job site and decided that your services and availability fit with the client’s needs.
When to Use an Interior Design Quotation
As a freelance interior designer, you should use a quote when:
- A potential client asks for a quote for their interior design project.
- You want to impress a customer with a professional and well-designed document.
- You want to create quotes to inform the rest of your accounting process to help with creating contracts and invoices.
- You need help keeping track of job details and pricing information for your interior design business.
- You want to ensure that you and a client are on the same page in terms of services and pricing before any interior design work begins.
Using interior design quotations is beneficial to both you and your clients. It helps you to maintain an organized and straightforward administrative process and it gives your clients a clear idea of what to expect in terms of pricing and services.
Who Should Use an Interior Design Quotation?
You should use an interior design quotation if:
- You offer interior design services on a freelance or contract basis.
- A client accepts an interior design proposal and you want to submit a formal quote.
- You’ve visited a client’s home or job site to review a potential project’s scope and sending a quote with pricing details is the logical next step.
What to Include in an Interior Design Quotation
In an interior design quotation, you need to include a variety of information that helps a client to understand which services you will provide and how much they cost. This will allow them to decide whether or not they’re ready to move forward with the project.
In your interior design quotation, be sure to cover:
1. Contact details
In each quote you provide, include contact details for both you and the client, such as:
- Your given name and interior design business name and logo, and the client’s name
- Your business phone number and address, as well as the client’s
- The address of the job site, if it’s different from the client’s address
2. The services you will provide
Clearly list each service required to complete the job, including:
- Architectural planning and drawings
- Floor plans
- Furniture and accessory selection
- Custom textile and furniture design
- Color palette designs
- Finish selections for walls and floors
- Holiday decorating
- Styling
And any other interior design services that are relevant to the job and client in question. Remember to include any work that you will need to contract out to another service provider, like a plumber or painter if you’re required to subcontract their services.
3. A detailed list of costs and prices
Next to each service, you will need to include its associated price. This should be broken down by how you structure your fee. For example, either hourly or per project. If you’re unable to give solid numbers, it’s OK to give a range, just make sure that the highest total still fits within a client’s budget.
It’s also important to price out any materials required for the project, even if that only means ballpark numbers. For example, $3000 - $5000 for a custom loveseat.
The purpose of a quote is to give clients a chance to understand the work and cost involved with an interior design project before they commit. It helps them to determine exactly what they want, plan a budget, and adjust or update any project details before it begins.
4. Additional costs or discounts
Next, you need to outline any additional amounts that could affect the overall total, such as:
- Taxes
- Fees
- Discounts
- Subcontractor costs
- Permits
- Deposits
5. The quote’s expiration date
Every interior design quotation that you submit should include an expiry date, which is typically 30 days after it’s sent. The quote helps to prevent you from having someone expect the same deal months later when the costs have changed based on the market or your availability.
Essentially, simply adding an expiry allows you to revise the total amount due in the future if the client accepts your quote after the date has passed.
6. Payment terms
Your quote is also an ideal place to include information about your payment terms, like whether you require a deposit, how and when you expect a customer to pay it, and invoicing information going forward.
For example, what your payment cycle is, how you accept payments, and whether clients can expect to pay for furniture, decor, and other materials upfront or as part of your invoices.
How to Write an Interior Design Quotation
Interior designers typically follow these steps when creating their interior design quotes:
Step 1: Visit the client’s space
Before you do anything else, visit the space where the project will take place. Note everything relevant that could affect your quote, such as measurements, whether any deconstruction is required, and any other important details.
Consider whether it’s a single project or multiple projects. For example, if a client wants multiple rooms redesigned, you may need to break it up into multiple, smaller projects, depending on your availability and capacity.
Step 2: Make a list of your tasks and how much they cost
Plan out all the tasks you would need to do to complete the project. Don’t forget to include meetings, phone calls, and research. While you can roll these costs into other fees, like your overall hourly rate, it will help to give you an idea of the time commitment and an overall sense of the work required.
Step 3: Estimate costs when you’re uncertain
If you don’t know the exact price of something, provide an estimate instead. While you want your quote to be as close to the final amount as possible, sometimes that’s not always feasible.
Just remember not to quote too low because you could end up losing money if you underestimate the time or materials needed.
Creating an Interior Design Quotation in Simple With Bonsai
You can easily create an interior design quotation template with Bonsai. You’re too busy designing a space your clients love to worry about putting together a quote from scratch every time you need to send an estimate.
Save time by customizing your own easy-to-use interior design quotation template to include your business name, logo, and company colors. Sign up today to get started.
Interior Design Quotation FAQs
How much do interior designers make?
How much you make depends on a variety of factors, such as your experience and location, as well as the services you offer. Hourly rates can range anywhere from $75-$500+.
What’s the difference between interior design and decorating?
Interior design is made up of designing and creating functional spaces for the people who use them. For example, an interior designer may redesign a room to serve multiple purposes based on the needs of the client, such as storage, a home office, and a library.
Interior decorators are more focused on the aesthetic of a space, and use furnishings and decorative items to make a space visually appealing.
Related Documents
- Interior Design Brief: Use this document to outline the requirements and details of a home design project for potential customers.
- Invoice Template: Use this document to bill a client after the job is done.
- Interior Design Contract: Use this document to create a contract for clients to sign after they accept your quote.
